BMPEW 13

Chapter 13

“Lady Beanie, don’t you want to try these cookies?”

“Take them away.”

…And so, the only thing I could really do was hover around Lord Abellus.

Seriously. I tried everything I could think of, but in the end, there was nothing else I could do.

When I boldly snuck into the annex to find information, Erasinus’s group was already blocking the entrance, so I had to flee.

When I asked the servants to bring me military strategy books or legal texts, they just laughed and handed me cookies instead.

‘Let’s not get impatient. First things first, get closer to Lord Abellus, step by step.’

I decided to think positively. After all, there are things that are actually easier to achieve with a child’s body.

“These are really good, though. That’s a shame.”

I smiled and popped a cookie into my mouth despite Lord Abellus’s cold rejection.

“Leave.”

“Yes, sir!”

After hours of waiting just to see his face, I was kicked out in an instant.

Lord Abellus was busy all day.

His schedule was packed with home education and training, and in his spare time, he went out to hang out with friends.

I pretended to return to my room, then snuck behind a pillar.

The mansion was open on all sides except for the inner quarters, making it easy to observe from anywhere.

Lord Abellus had gone out to the front yard and was throwing stacked discs one by one.

‘Strength training?’

Well, it made sense. He needed to be skilled in both academics and martial arts, so training early was essential.

Before long, the stack of discs ran out. Watching Lord Abellus walk around collecting the scattered ones himself, I grinned.

‘That’s something I can help with.’

“Here you go!”

I set down a pile of discs next to Lord Abellus, who was resting under the shade of a tree.

Plop.

The discs were fairly heavy, so they hit the ground with a thud.

“Ugh, that was heavy.”

“…What is this?”

“I collected them.”

“You did?”

Lord Abellus frowned slightly, then picked up the discs and walked out into the sunlight.

I waited under the shade until he scattered the discs again, then went to pick them up.

After doing this for a while, he approached me once more.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“It’s not nonsense. I’m helping.”

I replied confidently.

“Are you just too young to have any sense?”

“What’s ‘sense’?”

I feigned ignorance, pretending not to understand.

If I were really a child, I’d probably be bawling and running away by now. Kids are surprisingly sensitive.

“Stop it right now! What are you, a dog? Running around fetching things someone else threw?!”

I just smiled brightly at him.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m from the Ignitus family too, so I care about dignity.”

I may look like this, but I’m a former lord’s daughter. In the time I came from, a lord’s daughter was practically treated like royalty.

Of course I wouldn’t enjoy showing such an undignified side.

“That’s why I made this.”

I climbed onto a wooden cart I had asked a servant to modify.

We had cut a large cart in half and rigged it so it could be pushed around.

Rumble rumble.

With one foot on the ground, I pushed the cart forward, and the wheels began to turn.

Lord Abellus, watching me silently, finally spoke.

“Calidora.”

“…Yes?”

Startled, I practically bounced over to him.

Usually, he only called my name reluctantly, but this time, his voice was much softer.

Did he like the cart? Or did he find my effort admirable?

“Put both feet up on the plank.”

“Yes, sir!”

Excited and without any suspicion, I did as he said. Then Lord Abellus suddenly stepped forward.

“Wha…?”

Before I could react, he grabbed the cart’s handle.

“W-wait, Lord Abellus…!”

Ancestor, what is he planning—?

Clunk.

The cart rolled over a threshold and onto the marble floor, and Lord Abellus gave it a push.

“L-Lord Abellus! No!”

My pleas were useless.

Without a shred of hesitation, he shoved the cart straight into the building.

CRASHHH—

With a loud rattle, the wheels rolled as I slid rapidly into the interior.

“Abellus!”

Lord Abellus, breathing with a refreshed expression, quickly became a speck in the distance.

Crash!

“Young Lady!”

The cart and I tumbled across the floor.

Fortunately, I wasn’t seriously hurt.

Several attendants of the family head, who happened to be coming out at the time, quickly deployed divine protection in front of me.

“Ugh…”

I groaned, pushing myself up from the marble floor.

My sweaty palms made me slip a couple of times, but I finally managed to get up.

Stumbling forward, I grabbed onto Gordio’s leg.

“G-Grandpa…”

“Young Lady… What in the world happened here?”

“Lord Abellus… he called me without getting mad… so I got closer… Hic…”

As I whimpered, Ankous burst out of the room.

“Who did this?! Who hurt our little bean?!”

“Ankous…”

I looked up at him, tears brimming in my eyes.

“Young Lady, hurry and come into Ankous’s arms!”

Following my instincts, I ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. And just like that, my mind cleared.

Wait, why am I crying?

Does my child’s body automatically cry from shock?

“…Actually, I don’t really need to be held.”

“How brave of you.”

As I pulled away from Ankous, one of the family head’s aides—whose name I didn’t know—spoke to me.

“Did the young master push you?”

I almost said yes but paused for a moment.

If Lord Abellus got scolded because of me, I might not be able to approach him again.

“Yeah, but Lord Abellus was playing with me. So don’t scold him.”

“I see.”

The servants’ previously grim expressions softened a little.

I quickly left before they could ask more questions about the incident.

I wasn’t sure if this was the right choice.

‘Lord Abellus probably saw the servants coming and tossed me aside, right? He wouldn’t really try to hurt me. He’s not that kind of person…’

With a heavy heart, I walked down the corridor. The setting sun cast light between the rows of columns.

Halfway down the hall, I stopped in my tracks.

Lord Abellus hadn’t left. He was still standing behind a pillar, watching me.

It seemed he had been observing me the whole time.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak—just opened and closed my mouth soundlessly.

His deep, clear eyes met mine.

In his gaze, I could read the question “Why did you do that?”, along with a faint trace of hostility he couldn’t fully hide.

It was so subtle you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely, but I could tell.

With a little more time and experience, he would probably be able to completely conceal that side of himself.

‘He has no intention of accepting me.’

That thought made me a little sad, but I smiled gently at his expressionless face and quietly turned around, disappearing from sight.

He probably had no idea.

That pieces of the side he tried to hide had already slipped out… and someone, with great loyalty, had carefully recorded them.

Words and expressions can be masked, but actions cannot.

And what was revealed of his inner self—was brilliant.

There was no other word for it.

The glimpse I had seen of him by chance in that old leather-bound book had rescued me again and again, weighed down as I was by the responsibilities I carried.

That’s why—no matter what happens—I can’t give up on saving him.

I know I can never truly be family with Lord Abellus. Perhaps, because of this body, he’ll resent me for the rest of my life.

So all I hope for is to earn enough trust to simply stay near him.

Whether he likes it or not, I want to always be in sight, proving that I will never bring him harm.

And maybe—when the moment comes when my judgment is needed—he’ll allow me a few words.

If just those few words could change the fate of this house… and let me quietly disappear, making sure my secret never harms the family…

If I could just do that, it would be a life not shameful to Lord Calidora or the Goddess.